Unzipping her tiny tent, she showed off her new home proudly saying, “This is perfect for me, it’s all I need.” Her cat was curled up in one corner, and a feline scent wafted out of the tent.
This is what the revolution really looks like.
“It’s 48-year-old women, usually riddled with illness, deciding to get up and do something,” said Tea, the informal leader of Occupy Bellingham in Washington, through her toothless grin.
Tea is the “camp mom,” along with her new best friend who lives in a tent next to her, Herb the “camp dad.” She anticipates that her worn pink scarf covered in peace signs will hold through the winter.
“We’re not leaving,” she said.
During our tour of the camp, set up in Bellingham’s most central public park, she showed us the conference tent, the men and women’s tents, the storage tent and various other parts of the little village.
We were automatically skeptical. This whole 99 percent business seems to often be an excuse for people to air their frustrations with the system, for people to proclaim their sense of injustice with the world.
“What are you trying to achieve?” we asked.
Tea said they were holding a special congress meeting the following day to formulate a list of concrete goals — to finally agree upon why they have been camped out in tents for more than a week.
Without going into too much detail, there were two aspects that stood out about our visit.
First was their treatment of the homeless. By setting up a tent village, they unintentionally created one of the most accessible and effective homeless shelters. Those who used to sleep on the benches of the park now have tents, and during the day are put to work helping out with the movement.
We spent time in Vancouver, British Colombia, cooking meals for the homeless of downtown Eastside and staying with them. After that experience I was impressed that a group of citizens, within the space of a week, created a system give the homeless food and shelter, along with a purpose. And often, it seems that a purpose is what’s really needed.
“Herbal Tea” was the next aspect that swayed our cynical minds.
With a gleam in her eye, Tea told us, “We’re practically married.” Herb, whose long white beard earned him the nickname Gandalf, stationed his little blue and yellow tent next to Tea’s.
“I’m a hippy from the ‘60s who didn’t quite complete things the first time. Now we have a chance to get it right,” he said.
The U.S. can no longer afford to live in isolation as the hegemon of this world. By Oct. 9, Occupy protests had or were taking place in 95 cities across 82 countries, and within 600 communities in the U.S. As other nation states have joined Occupy movement, the U.S. needs to realize that there are many feasible economic models from which we can learn. A movement about solidarity needs to be flexible in its mandate.
Whether the 99 percent achieve their political goals or not, whether the July 4 U.S. General Assembly goes ahead and the 99 percent declaration is enacted within the higher powers, these are only small parts of what the movement is actually achieving.
What truly matters is that communities realize with a little occupation of their public spaces, lonely and cold days no longer need to define the existence of fellow community members. And what matters is that people like Tea and Herb regain a sparkle in their eyes that was hidden since the 1960s. Through the protests they have found fulfillment — and each other.